The Plymouth Public Dispensary in Catherine
Street was supported by voluntary subscriptions and had for its
objective the relief with medical advice and medicine, the
sufferings of the industrious poor of the Borough and neighbourhood who were unable to pay the costs of such relief
for themselves. Its service did not include paupers.

Its origins lay in the
Plymouth Medical Society, which was founded in 1794 largely at
the instigation of Doctor Robert Remmett and Doctor Charles
Yonge.

Their Dispensary opened on
November 13th 1798 at the Mayoralty House in Woolster Street.
Three months later it moved to Howe's Lane in the house of a Mr
Cleverton. In April 1801 the cowpox inoculation was given to
smallpox cases.

In 1804 a garden in
Catherine Street was purchased for £234 17s but work did not
start on erecting new premises until Doctor Charles Yonge died
in 1807 and left them £1,000 in trust. The Dispensary was
opened in 1809.

Following the cholera
outbreak in 1831, it was decided to erect a hospital on land
previously a cherry garden in Sussex Place, Notte Street. It
was to be the South Devon and East Cornwall Hospital and Plymouth
Public Dispensary but legal reasons prevented the amalgamation
and it continued as only the
South Devon
and East Cornwall Hospital.

What was considered to be a
major development in the working of the Dispensary took place in
September 1878: it was divided in to two departments. The
original "charity" side continued to provide 'gratuitous
medical relief of poor persons who are unable to defray the
expenses of procuring advice and medicines for themselves, and
who are not in receipt of parish pay.' The new activity
was called the "Provident Department", whereby those members of
the working classes, including domestic servants, who were
unable to pay doctors' fees but who did not want to turn to
charity, could pay monthly subscription towards their medical
costs.

Two medical officers were
engaged to provide the service: Mr R Hughes, MB, Cantab., on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at 2pm and Mr E H Edlin, FRCS
Edin., on Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays at the same time.

Anyone over the age of 14
years paid 5d per month. A father or a mother, plus all their
children under 14 years of age paid 10d per month. A family of
father, mother and children under 14 paid 1s 3d per month. And
it was no good joining just when you got ill because in those
circumstances the charge was five shillings plus a month's
subscription.

In a situation where a
member was so ill that they could not get to the Dispensary,
they could have their membership card sent to the home of one of
the medical officers and as long as it was there before 9am they
would receive a home visit that day. Working men who would
suffer a loss of wages through attending the Dispensary during
the afternoon could get advice direct from one of the medical
officers at home.

People living outside the
Borough boundary, i.e. north of Townsend Hill or in Devonport,
Stonehouse and Plympton, could join for 1d less per subscription
but had no right to a home visit.